Home for the Holidays
by FlaminkoMage
Summary: College AU. Two strangers meet in a train compartment and instantly hit it off. Natsu runs into the blonde once again after he received news about his little sister's wedding and his father's health. NaLu. RoWen. One Shot.


**Author's Note:** Quick (actually not very quick) one shot I wrote because I was bored and needed some NaLu. :) Let me know what you think in the reviews!

 **Main pairings:** NaLu; RoWen; mentions of Gruvia, Gajevy, and Jerza.

…

Twenty-year-old Natsu Dragneel had his life set out in his eyes. He'd graduate Magnolia University in two years, get a job at the circus, get a girlfriend at twenty-four and marry at twenty-five. He'd have a son who he'd name after his foster father, and get him to like all types of hot foods. Life would be pretty sweet.

Attending an after-college mixer, though, was not the plan.

"Honestly, it's just a small party. Everyone in the group has a girlfriend except you," his best friend, Gray Fullbuster, said to him, patting him on his shoulder. "Better get moving before all the good ones are taken."

Natsu groaned. He had had this conversation with Gray many times before, and today was not a day where he wanted to speak about his nonexistent love-life.

"I told ya' already. I'll get a girlfriend after Uni's over," he droned, rummaging through the books in his bag. "For now, I'm all set with my life."

Gray rolled his eyes. "You don't know what you're missing."

Natsu shrugged, turning in the road to head to the train station. "Dad's expecting me home for New Years, so I better get going. See you in a week?" he said, waving out to the black-haired man. Gray chuckled, nodding.

"See, if you had a girlfriend, she'd be going home with you for the holidays," he teased. "Juvia is coming to meet my family, actually."

Natsu snorted. "Well, good luck with that," he said. They both knew how that blue-haired beauty was around her boyfriend. It had taken them two years to finally get together, but as Juvia said, it was 'worth it for Gray-sama!'.

"Whatever. See ya' around. We'll get together for New Years Eve. Laxus is hosting a party for everyone. See if you can get a girl for yourself by then? Everyone will have one except you," Gray said. Natsu ignored him, turning around and shaking his head.

"Bye, Dude," he said swiftly, entering the station. He didn't hear Gray's response, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to.

Natsu had always thought about getting himself a girlfriend. In fact, he could do so easily seeing as he was one of the most popular second-years. Everyone in his group was already coupled up. Well, except Gajeel, who claimed to have a girlfriend. No one had ever met her, so they didn't know if he was telling the truth or not.

Natsu sighed, itching his elbow as he went down to the train platform. It had been a while since he had gone home to see Igneel. The man had grown old, and Natsu wanted to be there with him during his last few months.

Wendy, his adoptive sister, was coming home for the holidays too. Apparently, she had big news that she wanted everyone in the family to hear.

"Train fifty… train fifty…" Natsu muttered, looking around the platform for the train that would take him home. "Aha," he said as his eyes landed on the Express. He grinned, boarding the train after showing the conductor his ticket.

His face instantly went green as he climbed up the staircase. How long was this train ride again?

Five hours. For five hours, he'd be suffering.

Natsu groaned, trying not to gag as he found himself a fairly empty cart. There were no occupants, except a lonesome blonde girl who was wearing a bright pink coat and had a small suitcase besides her.

He opened the door, looking her way and trying not to puke on her.

"Konnichiwa!" she said happily, smiling at him. Natsu looked at her.

"Would ya… bleh… mind if I… urgh… sit in here?" he choked out, closing his eyes and waiting for rejection.

"Oh! Sure, of course," came her feminine voice. Natsu opened his eyes, looking into her deep brown orbs. He couldn't help but smile.

"Thank… ya," he said, before collapsing into the seat opposite her.

She grimaced. "Disgusting. Motion sickness?" she asked.

Natsu nodded. "You said it…" he said, before his mouth filled with disgusting bile.

"I have a few Troia patches, if you think that'll help," the girl offered, rummaging through her purse and holding out a package of clear patches.

Natsu's eyes widened as he looked at them.

"Do ya… think they'll… work?" he asked, taking one and ripping it open. He quickly attached it below his left ear, and waited for something to happen.

The blonde smiled as he seemed to ease up. "Did it help?" she asked with a concerned tone.

Natsu waited a few minutes, before breaking into a huge grin.

"Thank ya' so much!" he exclaimed, giving her a thumbs up and a wink.

The girl seemed to visibly relax. "Oh good. You're welcome," she said, leaning back in her chair.

Natsu stuck out his fist for a bump. "My name's Natsu. It's nice ta' meet'cha!"

The girl held on an amused smile.

"My name is Lucy. It's nice to meet you too," she said politely, accepting his fist bump.

"Are ya' in college or what?" Natsu asked, attempting to make small talk. Lucy nodded.

"Yes. I'm starting at Magnolia University after the holiday break. I'm a sophomore," she said. Natsu tilted his head in confusion.

"S… Sophomore?" he asked.

Lucy's eyes widened as she realized something. "Oh, sorry. I'm a second-year," she explained hastily. "Sorry. I'm from the Americas, you see. I came to Japan to major in the Japanese language."

"The Americas… wow," Natsu breathed. "That's a pretty long flight, eh?"

"Yeah, but it was worth it. I'm glad I got the opportunity to come to Japan," Lucy said with a smile.

"Yer Japanese is very fluent," Natsu commented.

"Thanks, I've been practicing for a while now," Lucy said modestly. "Where do you go?"

"Oh! Right, I'm a second-year at Magnolia Uni too," Natsu said, scratching the back of his neck. "I'm majoring in performing arts."

Lucy gasped. "Oh! You're going to the same college as me! You could've told me that sooner!" she exclaimed, grabbing his hands and shaking them. "I've been looking everywhere for someone who could explain everything to me! You could do it, right?" she asked with a pout.

Natsu gulped, looking upon her face.

"E-eh? Me?"

"Of course!"

Natsu coughed. The way her lips moved up, and her cheeks tinted with that slight pink… she looked really beautiful.

"Um… sure?"

"Ohhh! _Arigatou gozaimasu_!" Lucy exclaimed.

Natsu snorted. "You're so formal."

Lucy deflated. "Mm…"

"It's fine, really," Natsu said, waving his hands.

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows.

"I just thanked you. What should you say?" she led on. Natsu raised an eyebrow.

"Um…?"

"Oh come on! It's polite to say _Itashimashite_ back!" Lucy said, waving her index finger in his face.

Natsu muttered something under his breath. "Japanese major, eh…?" he whispered, before turning to her. "Whatever. _D_ _ō_ _itashimashite_."

Lucy's cheeks flushed. "Oh, right! I forgot that first part!" she mumbled, going into her notebooks and writing something down with a smooth ballpoint pen.

"I've never seen a pen like that one," Natsu said leaning closer to look at it.

Lucy grinned, holding it up proudly. "I got this baby for a sweet deal at a stationary store in New York! Seven dollars cheap!"

"Oh. That's really cheap."

"Anyway, I'm going to be helping around a few of the freshman… I mean, first-year Japanese classes too. I'm training to be a teacher!"

"Oh."

"I'd also like to someday write my own novel in Japanese! Wouldn't that just be awesome?! I can't wait till school starts!"

"Oh."

"As my old teacher used to say, _Gengo o hitotsu wa kesshite tarinai_!" Lucy said. " _One language is never enough_!"

"What was that last sentence you said? I don't speak English," Natsu muttered. Lucy's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh! _Sorry_! I mean, _Gomen nasai_ ," she apologized profusely, switching in between English and Japanese for a second. "I was just translating that to English for my own benefit."

"Oh."

"Honestly! Is 'oh' all you say?!" Lucy screeched.

Natsu shrugged. "I dunno, maybe. I was just thinking," he said. Lucy's features instantly softened.

"Oh. What about?" she asked.

Natsu shook his head. "It ain't anything important," he said.

"Alright. So, where are you headed for the holidays?" Lucy asked.

"To my dad's house. My little sister is coming too," Natsu explained. "What about you?"

Lucy shrugged. "I'm just going to explore. Fiore's always fascinated me, and I promised myself that when I arrived in Japan, I'd sightsee as much as possible before school started."

Natsu lifted an eyebrow. "You're… coming to the country to sightsee?" he asked. Lucy nodded.

"Yep! It sounds really relaxing and fun, don't you think?" she said with a heartwarming smile. Natsu gulped.

"Sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked, judging his tone.

"N-nothing, ma'am!" Natsu stuttered. "Sweet Mavis, you remind me of Jellal's girlfriend."

Lucy's ears perked up. "Jellal's girlfriend? As in, Jellal Fernandes? Could you possibly be talking about Erza Scarlet?" she asked with wide eyes.

Natsu gave her a curious look. "Yeah, actually. Erza, do you know her?" he asked. Lucy nodded.

"Erza and I have been friends for a while now, actually. I met her when she came to America for a school trip."

"Oh yeahhh, I remember that," Natsu said lazily, yawning and leaning his head back in his seat. "Erza couldn't stop going on and on about some girl she met while she was at the museum there."

Lucy nodded. "That was me! I was there with my best friend Levy that day. I met her in the Ancient Japan exhibit."

"Levy?" Natsu said, testing the name on his tongue. "I've heard that name somewhere…"

Lucy looked at him. "Say, if you know who Jellal is… would you happen to know a _Gajeel Redfox_?" she asked him, leaning forward. Natsu nodded.

"Yeah. That asshat's been a friend of mine for a while now," he drawled, getting sleepier and sleepier by the second. His eyes suddenly snapped open as he realized something. "That's where I've heard that name before! Gajeel likes to brag about his girlfriend, Levy. No one knows if she actually exists, though."

Lucy laughed. "Well, I can assure you that she does in fact exist," she said. "He's Levy's boyfriend. I can't believe we've been a part of the same friend group this entire time, and we haven't even heard of each other before."

"Didn't Gajeel and Levy meet online? I wouldn't really call that being a part of the same friend group," Natsu said.

"Well, close enough," Lucy wavered.

"Whatever. I'm gonna get some sleep, Luce," Natsu said, failing to notice the blush that took over Lucy's face when he used the nickname.

"That's something my mother used to call me…" she whispered softly, placing a hand on her cheek and gazing fondly at Natsu.

"Used to?" Natsu grunted out.

Lucy coughed. She didn't know if she wanted to tell this stuff to a man she just met.

"Yeah… used to. She passed away when I was younger," she decided on saying. Natsu opened his eyes to peek at her. She looked uncomfortable, and was hugging herself for comfort.

Natsu sighed, getting up and facing her.

"My mother died when I was really young too. Well, she wasn't really my mother. She was my adoptive father's wife."

Lucy looked up at him with wide eyes.

"So that means you're a…"

"Yeah. I'm an orphan," Natsu said with a low laugh. "My foster parents had a child. Ya know, one that's actually blood-related. Her name's Wendy."

"Pretty name," Lucy commented.

"Wendy's pretty awesome. She's only two years younger than me," Natsu said.

Lucy nodded. "That would make her… eighteen?" she asked. Natsu nodded.

"Yep!" he said. "After our mother died, my dad just kinda… gave up, ya know?"

Lucy coughed, trying not to think about the similarities between Natsu's story and her own.

"Yeah. I understand," she said.

"And now, he's gonna… he's gonna…" Natsu said, trailing off.

It didn't take an idiot to figure out what he meant by that.

Lucy looked at his figure. She remembered back to the time when her father had passed. She had been abroad for her studies at the time, so she wasn't there with him when it had happened. She had never really liked her father very much, but it still hurt when he was no longer with her.

"Go to sleep," she said quietly, laying his head on the seat and forcing his eyes closed.

"Mmm," Natsu grumbled, his face gradually becoming green. The motion sickness patches must have been losing their effect by now.

Lucy sighed, ripping open another one and replacing the patch, all while watching the pink-haired man sleep soundly in front of her.

He really was weird. This man was the goofiest person she had ever encountered, but she knew he could be serious if he absolutely wanted to. And judging by his character, that wasn't very often.

Maybe she'd have fun with this.

…

Natsu took a deep breath as he stared at the front door of his father's house.

He wasn't really sure what had happened after he had fallen asleep on the train. The next thing he remembered was being thrown off the train, and Lucy screaming at him for barfing all over her new boots.

He chuckled under his breath. That girl was really something else.

He cringed as he heard voices coming from inside.

"I am not too young! Besides, you know the circumstances are completely accurate!" a small, feminine voice yelled. Natsu instantly recognized it to be his little sister.

He then heard a much more manlier voice. "Here's the deal. If you get Natsu to agree to this sick plan of yours, you can do it."

Wendy scoffed. "I don't need his approval!" she screeched. "I'm old enough to make these sorts of decisions on my own!"

Natsu groaned. Wendy and Igneel were always arguing about something. It was usually minor, and could be fixed in a relatively short period of time.

"Say, where is he?"

"Who? Natsu or-"

Natsu couldn't take it anymore. He slammed the door open and gazed at the two figures in front of him with a wicked grin.

"Guess who's home," he said in a low voice.

Igneel grinned at his son's arrival.

"Took you long enough," he said before giving Natsu a rough noogie. Wendy looked at the two of them with a wide smile.

"Natsu!" she said, running over to hug her older brother. "I haven't seen you in months!"

"Same here, now what was all that racket from before?" Natsu asked, raising an eyebrow at the two of them.

Igneel gazed pointedly at Wendy, who groaned.

"I have to tell you guys something."

Igneel whistled. "Not me, I already know. Good luck, Wendy," he said, before sprinting out of the room.

Natsu looked after him.

"What's up with him? He's acting a little crazier than normal, don'tcha think?" he asked. Wendy didn't answer. She gestured to the large couch besides them.

"Natsu. My dear older brother whom I love so much," she started sweetly. "Why don't you have a seat, brother."

Natsu raised an eyebrow. "What's going on," he said. "And do you have any food? I'm starvin'!"

Wendy nodded, rushing into the kitchen and back in ten seconds flat. She held out a plate of snacks.

"Here you are, dear brother. Now, I want to talk to you about something, but you need to promise not to freak out!" she said, fiddling with her fingers.

"'Kay, go on ahead, don't mind me," Natsu muttered, stuffing his face with food.

Wendy visibly relaxed. She knew that if she kept Natsu drowned in food, this would go by easily and quickly.

"Uh… I'm getting married!"

Natsu chewed on a cracker.

"That's nice."

Wendy blinked. She watched her brother gobble down more.

"To my boyfriend of four years," she continued.

Natsu didn't even look at her. He eyed his plate with hunger.

"Cool."

"Um. Okay, then!" Wendy said, backing away. Natsu was going to burst any-

"WAIT, WHAT?!"

There it was.

"YOU'RE GETTING _WHAT_?!"

Wendy gulped.

"Married! I'm getting married!" she said, spraying out her left hand and showing him the sparkling diamond ring on her fourth finger.

"TO _WHO_?!"

"Romeo! My boyfriend!" Wendy exclaimed, her cheeks tinting pink.

Natsu suddenly relaxed. "Oh. Romeo. Nice guy. Congrats, Wen," he said with a wave of his hand. He immediately went back to his food.

All of a sudden, the door to one of the living rooms burst open and Igneel came pounding in.

"Oi oi oi. Wait wait wait," he said, rushing in between the siblings. He turned to Natsu. "You're going to give your blessing just like that? You haven't even met the boy!"

Natsu shook his head. "Not true, Pops. I've met Romeo plenty of times. The kid idolizes me for a reason I'll never know."

Igneel huffed. "I should have known I couldn't put the decision in your hands. You don't even have a girlfriend yet!"

"Heyyy," Natsu whined. "Just because I don't have a girlfriend, doesn't mean I don't have a girl I like!"

Igneel and Wendy's heads popped towards him with wide eyes.

"You like a girl?" Wendy gushed. "Awww that's so cute! Who is she? What's her name?!"

Igneel, however, looked quite amused. "And here I thought you were gay," he mumbled under his breath. "Thought for sure you'd end up with that Gray bastard of yours."

Natsu didn't bother answering that.

"I never said I liked her like _that_ ," Natsu mumbled. "She's just a pretty swell person! That's all."

"Do you want to be her boyfriend?" Wendy asked slyly.

"Not so fast, young lady," Igneel said, turning to his daughter. "We still have to talk about this Romeo kid. You're eighteen!"

"Yeah, which is legal age to get married," Wendy snapped back.

"But don't you want to go to college? Get a job? Live a happy life?"

Wendy nodded. "Of course I do, Dad," she said.

Igneel looked at her gruffly. "Are you pregnant," he said as more of a statement than a question.

"No! How could you say such a thing?!" Wendy exclaimed.

"Just that you're getting married so young, it seems like the only reasonably option," Igneel said.

Wendy's face blazed up into a giant crimson blush.

"No, Dad. I am not pregnant," she said quietly.

"Are ya sure, Wen? It would be fine if you are, I mean-" Natsu started.

"No, I am not pregnant Natsu. And unless you've gone and gotten a girl pregnant, I don't think you have any room to talk," Wendy bit back harshly.

Yep, high school had really changed the girl. In middle school she was a total sweetheart, but ever since her cat, Charle, died in an accident, she changed for the worst.

"Anyway, even if Natsu has met with the boy before, I'd still like too. Wendy, invite him over for dinner tomorrow evening," Igneel said, sitting next to Natsu on the couch and taking a few snacks off his plate.

"Oi! Old man! Those're my snacks!" Natsu yelled, stealing the plate back to himself. Igneel rolled his eyes, getting up to go to the kitchen for himself.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

Once he was gone, Natsu turned to Wendy.

"He seems a lot better," he commented. Wendy nodded solemnly.

"Yeah. He's living life to the fullest, that's for sure," she said, before quieting down. "Say, Natsu? Do you know why I'm jumping into a marriage so early?"

"Because you're pregnant?" he guessed randomly. Wendy shot him a sweet glare.

"Uh, no, thank you very much. And I won't be getting pregnant any time soon, for your information," she hissed. "I did it for Dad, you idiot."

Natsu looked at her. "You're getting married for Dad?" he asked, obviously intrigued.

Wendy nodded. "Of course. It's always been a dream of Dad's to walk his daughter down the aisle one day… remember the stories he used to tell us when we were younger?" she started. "And now that… now that he's…"

"I see. You want to fulfill Dad's final wish. I understand," Natsu said, sucking in a breath and looking away. Their father's health was always a sore subject for both of them.

"Natsu… when Mom died, I couldn't do anything anymore. I completely broke down along with Dad. You stayed strong for the both of us, and now that Dad's time is coming, I want to be there to support him till the very end."

"I know. I do too," Natsu said quietly. "You don't think I don't care, do you? Because that's obviously not true."

Wendy quickly shook her head. "No no, that isn't it. You just… had a different way of showing your care, you know?"

"Pshh," Natsu scoffed, crossing his arms and looking away.

"Anyway, what's this about a girl you like?"

Natsu spat out the food he was chewing on.

"Oi! I never said that I liked anyone!" he yelled, slashing his arms through the air. "All you people care about is if I have a girlfriend or not! Why can't you just let it go?"

Wendy looked at him with concern. "Oh come on, Natsu. There's nothing to be ashamed of if you like someone. It's natural to feel romantic things every once in a while. You're no different."

"Whatever. I'm going out for some fresh air," Natsu muttered, grabbing his coat and slipping on his sandals. "Don't expect me back for a couple o' hours."

"What? But you just got here! Don't you need to get settled and stuff?" Wendy asked.

"Oh yeah. Wen, could ya' get my bags for me. Put them in my room and don't open them," Natsu said carelessly, swinging the front door open and stepping outside. He cringed at the soft air that hit him the minute he got outside.

Everyone was moving on, it seemed. His little sister was getting married, all of his friends were out in clubs, living their lives to the fullest with girlfriends. Even his father, it seemed, had decided to give up.

Natsu didn't like it. He didn't like it one bit at all. He didn't want everything to change. He wanted to stay like this for just a few more years. Maybe then some girl would take enough interest in him to become his one and only.

Oh please. That idea was much too far-fetched, even for him. Natsu was certain he'd stay single for the rest of his life. No one seemed to care. Besides, everyone was already taken.

"Oh, hey, I remember you," a feminine voice cut through his thoughts. Natsu turned around in search for the familiar aroma he was sensing.

"L-Lucy?" he said, his eyes widening as he gazed at the blonde figure in front of him.

She was wearing a short blue coat with jeans and knee-high boots. Her hair was also styled into a high ponytail, and she was wearing minimal makeup. She looked really different, even though Natsu had only last seen her earlier that same day.

Lucy looked at him curiously. "Something wrong? You don't seem very happy to see me," she noticed.

Natsu quickly shook his head. "No, that isn't it. You're just looking… really nice!"

Lucy blushed.

"Oh! Well, thank you, Natsu," she said. "How's the motion sickness coming along?"

"I feel better than ever, thanks to the patches you lent me," Natsu said proudly.

Lucy laughed. "Well then, I'm glad I could be of help."

Natsu coughed as she began walking besides him.

"So, what are you doing in the middle of town?" he asked. Lucy grinned.

"I was just looking for a nice place to stop for some coffee. All this traveling really has me beat," she explained.

"Well, there's a local secret café just a few blocks away from here. If you'd like, I can take you there," Natsu suggested.

"Oh no, that's alright. You don't have to do that for me," Lucy said nervously, shaking her head.

"Nahh, it's cool," Natsu said happily, grabbing the girl's hand and tugging her with him through the town. They walked for a while, before stopping in front of a dark alleyway.

"Definitely a local secret, eh?" Lucy teased. Natsu chuckled.

"You can say that again," he mumbled, leading her inside and gesturing over to a small, cozy-looking café building.

"Mmm, it smells good," Lucy giggled, following Natsu inside.

"A friend of mine owns the place. I guess… he's sorta my father-in-law now?"

Lucy gaped at him. "You have a _wife_?!" she screeched.

Natsu's eyes widened as he seemed to realize what he said. "Oh, no no no! No, I don't, no," he kept repeating. "I meant it in the way that my younger sister, Wendy, is getting married to the owner's son."

Lucy breathed a sigh of relief. "That doesn't really make him your father-in-law, but okay," she said.

Natsu looked after her in amusement as they entered the shop.

"Yo, Macao!" he yelled into the building. "Could ya' set up a table for me?"

Then, a voice chimed, "Sure thing, Natsu! Just grab one of the one-seaters in the front and I'll come right out!"

Natsu smirked, squeezing Lucy's hand as he winked at her.

"I'll actually be needing a two-seater today. I have a friend of mine with me," he said in a proud voice.

Lucy raised her eyebrows at that. "You sound awfully pleased with yourself," she muttered. "Is it that poor Natsu doesn't have any friends?" she taunted.

Natsu scoffed in annoyance. "Oi! No one said anything about that!"

"Hey! Natsu Dragneel!" a new voice said. Natsu and Lucy looked in front of them to lay their eyes on a young boy only a few years younger than the two. He had raven-colored hair, and Natsu recognized him easily.

"Heyy, Romeo!" he said, holding out his hand for a fist-bump. "Been a while, how've ya been?"

Romeo grinned wickedly. "Great, thanks!" He then turned to Lucy. His eyes popped out of their sockets. "No way, you got yourself a hot girlfriend?"

Lucy smiled out of amusement. She held out her hand for a shake. "Um, no. My name is Lucy. Natsu and I are just acquaintances."

Romeo frowned, leaning closer to Natsu's ears. "Better snag her quickly before someone else comes and steals her," he whispered.

Thankfully, Lucy didn't seem to hear them.

"Anyway, what brings you here? You used to be a regular, you know," Romeo said, eyeing Natsu from head to toe.

"Well, Lucy here wanted some coffee and I happened to very generously recommend your café to her," Natsu boasted, crossing his arms across his chest with an extremely pleased smirk on his lips.

"Oh, that's right! I heard you recently got engaged, congratulations!" Lucy squeaked, taking the boy's hand and giving him her widest smile. Romeo laughed nervously. He bit his lip and shot her a grin back.

"Oh, thanks," he said quietly, scratching the back of his neck. He turned to Natsu. "I didn't know Wendy had already told you about that."

Natsu snorted. "Yeah right. You know how close Wen and I are," he said pointedly. Romeo sighed.

"Well, are you going to scream at me or what?"

"Why in Fiore would I do something like that?"

"If I may cut in," Lucy said, turning to Natsu. "Natsu, this is simple logic. Romeo thinks of you as an overprotective brother to his sister. With a little reassurance, I'm sure everything will work out, but you need to settle this like the grown men you are."

"I'm sorry, but you're not from here, are you?" Romeo asked. "Ah, I just don't recognize the accent."

Lucy smiled. "I'm not, actually. I'm from America. I came here to get my major in Japanese."

"Why Japanese? With your language capabilities, I'm sure you could get an easy diploma in English. Besides, aren't schools in America super high class?"

"Japan has always fascinated me since I was a young girl. You see, my mother passed away when I was a child and my father neglected me. I didn't have much to do, and we had recently gotten a foreign house maid."

"A house maid?" Natsu questioned.

"Yes. I'm… I'm from a quite capable family, you could say," Lucy said. "Anyway, this new maid came from Japan. Her name was Aquarius, and I'm not really sure if she liked me very much." Lucy laughed.

Romeo looked at her with interest. "Go on," he encouraged, taking a seat on the table the two were sitting at.

"Right. Well, apparently she was very good friends with my mother, and she didn't really want to have anything to do with me. So, she decided on showing me a few anime shows to get me out of her way, and I was instantly hooked. The minute I saw one episode, I decided my career path within the blink of an eye."

Natsu whistled. "Welp."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes in his general direction.

"Nothing, nothing."

"Fine, Mr. Hot Shot, why don't you tell us about your incredible journey into the performing arts major? Are you some sort of actor?"

Natsu shook his head. "Nope. I'm a musician."

Lucy gawked at him. "You're a _what_?"

"A musician. I play the flute."

Lucy's eyes bore holes into his own. She stared at him in utter shock.

"You're a flutist?! Why didn't you say anything?"

Natsu shrugged. "Never came up, I guess."

"You don't understand! I've always wanted to learn how to play the flute since I was three years old! Oh please please please, Natsu, will you teach me?"

Natsu shook his head instantly. "Absolutely not. I have college to worry about."

"Well, school doesn't start till next week. I'm sure we can fit a few lessons before then," Lucy said, batting her eyelashes.

"But I'm already taking you sightseeing! And I'm giving you a tour of campus on Monday!"

Lucy glared at him. "Remind me, Natsu. Who was it that cured you of your motion sickness earlier today? And who saved you from dying of sickness in those long five hours?"

Natsu scoffed. "I could have done that myself."

Lucy shook her head. "No, you couldn't have. You owe me big time."

"Fine. Whatever," Natsu agreed grudgingly just as an older man walked into view.

"Romeo! You know the rule about socializing with customers!" he said, shooing Romeo into the kitchen. He then turned to Lucy and stuck out his hand. "Name's Macao. I'm Romeo's dad. Heard you were a friend of Natsu's?"

Lucy smiled at that. "I suppose you could say that."

Macao blinked. "You're from North America aren't you?"

"Yes, I am." Lucy laughed. "How did you guess?"

"Eh, your accent says it all. So… do you have a boyfriend or what?"

Natsu glared at him. "Settle down, Macao. She's less than half your age," he hissed. Lucy's eyes widened at his tone.

"Oh! Sorry, Natsu. I didn't know she was your girlfriend or anything," Macao apologized.

"He's not my-"

"Yes. She's my girlfriend. Meaning I'm her boyfriend," Natsu cut in, swinging his arm around Lucy's figure.

Lucy gaped at him, but didn't correct the pink-haired man.

"Well, anyway, what can I get you two?" Macao asked.

Lucy looked over at the menu on the wall, reading the Japanese quickly and placing an order of a small coffee.

" _Kō hī_ ," she said, looking over at Natsu.

"Same."

"Very well," Macao said, turning around and disappearing into the kitchen.

Lucy crossed her arms. "I don't remember agreeing to be your girlfriend," she said pointedly.

Natsu shrugged. "Trust me, you don't wanna get caught up with that guy."

Lucy smirked. "And I should get caught up with you? I'm not sure which is more dangerous."

"Oi! I'm not a dangerous person! You should know this by now!" Natsu said defensively. "I'm a pretty swell guy, don'tcha think?"

Lucy just laughed. "Alrighty then."

"So… how about it?"

"How about what?"

"How about being my girlfriend?"

Lucy blinked. "I just met you this morning!" she exclaimed. Honestly, what was this guy thinking?

Natsu scoffed. "So? As I recall, you said yourself that we've been in the same friend group for a while. It isn't like we don't have connections."

Lucy blushed bright crimson. "Hm… I don't know… I didn't come to Japan to find love."

"You're such a hopeless romantic, Luce," Natsu said. "Finding love? You don't find love! Love finds you."

Lucy's eyes widened. Her heart started pounding heavily in her chest as she continued to stare at this boy. He was much deeper than he gave himself credit for, that was for sure.

"Don't spout nonsense like that," she blushed.

"Is that a yes or a no?"

"Mm… maybe. I need to check if you're worthy or not first, though."

Natsu squirmed under her stare. "What does that mean. What are you going to make me do?" he asked slowly, unsure where this conversation was headed. This girl could definitely be scary, that's for sure. Natsu had enough common sense to know that much at least.

"I want to meet your sister."

Natsu choked on his own spit.

"Meet my sister?! What? Why?" he asked, coughing to clear up his throat. "Why would you need to meet my _sister_ , if you're judging _me_?"

"Because a girl's intuition is always correct," Lucy said as if it were nothing. "If your sister says you're worthy, I'll take her word for it and officially become your girlfriend."

Natsu sighed. "Okay. Whatever. Lemme get Romeo," he said, before getting up and cupping his hands over his lips. "YO MACAO. CANCEL OUR DRINKS. ROMEO, YOU'RE COMING WITH US."

"You don't have to scream…" Lucy winced.

"Yes I hafta. Otherwise they won't hear me," Natsu said, taking her hand and helping her up.

Romeo appeared in the doorway.

"I may or may not have been eavesdropping."

Lucy groaned.

This was going to be a long day.

…

"And… here we are!" Natsu exclaimed, taking his key and slipping it inside the keyhole. He pushed open the front door to his father's house with an overly exaggerated twist of his arms.

"That was a little much, don't you think?" Lucy teased, climbing off the porch and into the living room. "Nice place. Cozy."

"Who is it?" a sing-song voice called from the kitchen. A bright blue-headed girl popped into view. She was holding a plate of cookies and a warm smile on her face.

"Wendy, you have food," Natsu stated, advancing towards her. "Gimme gimme gimme. Come to Papa."

"Gross," Wendy said, scrunching her nose and dodging him. She walked over to Romeo and gave him a peck on his cheek. "Hey, Romeo."

"What's up, Wen?"

Natsu pretended to cringe at the sight.

Lucy, however, squealed.

"Awww you two are just so precious!" she exclaimed happily, hugging both of them. Wendy looked surprised.

"Oh! Uh… I'm sorry, but I don't know who you are," she said nervously, obviously intimidated by Lucy's beauty.

"That's Lucy. My girlfriend," Natsu piped up gruffly. Lucy shot him a glare.

"Wha…. WHAT?! Natsu! You have a girlfriend?!" Wendy yelled, almost throwing the plate aside and rushing up to the blonde. "Tell me, Lucy! How did he trick you into being his boyfriend?"

"Everyone thinks so low of me," Natsu muttered.

"I am _not_ Natsu's girlfriend," Lucy said, crossing her arms. "We are merely friends."

"But that's gonna change once you put in a good word for me, Wen," Natsu winked. "Lucy agreed to be my girlfriend as long as you tell her how trustworthy I am! And how I'll make an amazing boyfriend!"

Wendy put on a poker face and looked at Lucy with a dead serious expression.

"Don't be his girlfriend. He's an idiot, a childish snob, and an absolute mess."

Natsu popped his head up. "Hey!"

Lucy laughed. "Is that so, Wendy? Well then, I guess I won't be becoming Natsu's girlfriend anytime soon, then."

Natsu looked… hurt. It was a face he rarely used. And it looked genuine, from what Lucy could tell. He had to be joking, right? Why would he want to be _her_ boyfriend?

"Whatever. I'm outta here," Natsu said in a low voice, kicking on his boots and disappearing out the front door.

"Wait! Natsu-" Lucy tried, but was efficiently cut off by the door slamming close.

Wendy cringed.

"He never acts like that. He must be really serious about you," she observed. Lucy looked back at her.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, Natsu rarely talks about girls, but when he came here earlier, he said something about someone he liked, but he wouldn't give away any details. I'll bet everything I have that that girl he was talking about was you."

"Oh…"

"Lucy, Natsu is a really sweet guy. He won't let you down," Wendy continued. "I think you should be his girlfriend."

Lucy smiled brightly at her words. She gave her a thumbs up, and nodded.

"I guess I should go and accept his proposal, then," she winked, grabbing her boots and running out the window.

Romeo turned to his fiance.

"They'll be fine. Don't worry, Wen."

…

Finding Natsu proved easier said than done. Mostly because it had begun to snow in the time that she had been talking to Wendy.

But there was was. Sitting on a bench in the middle of the park with his hands in his pockets and his eyelids drooped. Was he asleep? In the middle of town?

"Natsu?" she called, walking up behind him. His head jerked. He looked back at her and gave her a smile.

"Hey, Luce! Sit down," he said, patting the cold seat next to him.

Lucy wrapped her coat a little tighter around her, and lowered herself down to sit besides him.

"Yes," she said.

Natsu quirked an eyebrow at her. "Yes? Yes what?" he asked curiously.

"Yes, I'll gladly be your girlfriend."

Natsu blinked.

"No, you don't have to be my girlfriend out of pity. I get that you don't like me in that way," he said, turning back around and staring out into nowhere.

"No! I _do_ like you like that! I swear!" Lucy said.

"You do…?"

Lucy blushed. "Sorry, this is my first time confessing."

Natsu nodded.

"And this is my first time accepting," he said in a low voice, leaning closer to her and winking in an obnoxious way. Lucy blushed profusely.

"N-no need to say it in such a blunt way!" she exclaimed, slapping him lightly with her gloves. Natsu grinned cheekily and snorted in her face.

"Ya like it," he teased. "Just a lil' too much."

"S-shut up!"

"Well, you'll admit it one day. When we're old and married and have six kids."

"We are not having six kids! We literally just met today!"

Natsu laughed. "We'll see. You agreed to be my girlfriend, didn'tcha?"

Lucy muttered, "Yeah, and I'm beginning to regret it."

"I'll make you never regret it," Natsu said, nudging her elbow and blowing out cold air. Lucy smiled at him, not believing she had finally gotten herself a boyfriend.

A cheeky, childish, idiotic boyfriend, but a boyfriend nonetheless.

"Okay."

…

On Tuesday, Natsu and Lucy were back in Magnolia, fresh from a good vacation. The two had gotten closer over the past week, and Lucy was definitely improving in her flute lessons.

Just the day before, Natsu had given her a tour of the university campus. The two had agreed they wouldn't tell any of their friends of their relationship just yet. They wanted it to be a surprise.

Natsu and Lucy walked into the campus side by side, books in their hands and sharing earbuds.

"Mmm mm mmmm mm," Lucy hummed to the tune of the song Natsu had played for her. Natsu grinned as she seemed to enjoy his choice.

"Like the song?" he asked.

"Oh yeah. The flute part is incredible," she said in a breathy voice. "Now you know why I wanted to learn how to play."

Natsu shot her a smirk. "Well, I happen to know the flutist quite well," he said. Lucy looked up at him with wide eyes.

" _Hontoudesuka?!_ " she exclaimed, expressing her doubt.

Natsu nodded triumphantly. " _Hontoudesu_ ," he said, confirming her suspicions. "And you're lookin' right at him!"

Lucy almost dropped her books. "I knew you were good, but I didn't know you were _that_ good," she said with the biggest grin he had seen on her face.

"Well, I am majoring in performance music for a reason," he said.

"Wow…" Lucy breathed. "Natsu, you are officially my favorite person on this planet."

"Okay good. Let's keep it that way," Natsu teased, booping her nose.

" _LUCY HEARTFILIA?!_ " a giant voice exclaimed. Natsu and Lucy's heads turned simultaneously to see a scarlet-haired figure running up to them from a distance. Natsu quickly put his headphones away and tried to act as casual as possible.

Lucy gasped as she saw who had screamed her name. "Erza!" she exclaimed, running up and hugging the woman. "It's been so long! How've you been?!"

"I've been doing just wonderfully, thanks for asking!" Erza said happily. She turned to Natsu. "I see you've made friends with Natsu."

Lucy laughed nervously. "I wouldn't exactly say _friends_ …"

"Lucy's my girlfriend," Natsu said gruffly.

Lucy hit him. "Natsu!" she hissed. "I thought we were keeping that a secret!"

"Sorry, Luce! Couldn't keep it in!"

Erza watched their exchange with wide eyes and her jaw dropped.

"Not possible. How could _Natsu_ score someone like you, Lucy?" Erza said, crossing her arms. "Natsu, if you're playing a trick on us just to look good, you should know that is very bad behavior, and you will be punished severely for it."

"No, he's telling the truth," Lucy said in a small voice. "I am his girlfriend. He asked me during vacation."

"Oh," Erza said. "Well congratulations. I didn't know you two had met prior to the holidays."

"We didn't. We met on the train and I asked her later that same day," Natsu cut in roughly.

"You really like digging your own grave, don't you," a new voice said.

The three of them turned around to see Gray Fullbuster standing with his hands in his pockets. Juvia was latching onto his side.

"Ohhh Juvia is so happy for Natsu!" Juvia exclaimed with hearts in her eyes. "Juvia really thought Natsu was-"

"Yes, I know people thought I was gay, but I'm not, okay?" Natsu said in an annoyed tone.

Gray whistled, inspecting Lucy top to bottom. Lucy blushed under his stare.

"Eyes off of her," Natsu said in a threatening voice. Lucy's blush hardened.

Gray chuckled. "Relax, dude. I know how to handle another man's girl. Besides, I think I love Juvia very much already."

"Aww Juvia loves you too, Gray-sama!" Juvia exclaimed.

"So I heard Salamander scored it with my girlfriend's best pal," Gajeel said, coming into view. He stared at Lucy. "How's the shrimp been doing?"

Lucy giggled. "She's fine, Gajeel. She asked me to send her love."

"Hmph," Gajeel said, snorting in approval.

"Oh, speaking of Levy. She told me she'd be coming to visit over February break," Lucy said. Gajeel's eyes widened. He tried to act nonchalant about it, but everyone could see he was very excited.

"You're totally looking forward to her visit," Gray nagged.

"No I'm not," Gajeel muttered, turning and walking away from the scene.

"He totally is," Natsu whispered to Lucy.

"Yeah."

"Oh, hang on one sec," Natsu said, feeling something buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone and furrowed his eyebrows at the caller I.D. "What's up, Wen?"

Lucy saw Natsu's face turn from green to purple. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he dropped his phone to the floor; it made a clacking sound as it connected with the ground.

"What happened?!" Lucy asked worriedly. She placed a hand on his shoulder as he gulped.

"We need to get on a train right now," he said as quietly as possible. Everyone around them looked at him in shock.

"A train? Natsu? Are you feeling alright?" Lucy asked.

"Why would you want to go on a _train_?" Gray said, chuckling to himself. "That's like literally burying yourself in the grave you just digged up."

Natsu ignored him. He turned to Lucy.

"My dad's in the hospital."

…

Wendy and Romeo sat side by side in one of the cold chairs in the hospital. Wendy had recently contacted Natsu about Igneel, but the connection had gone flat once she revealed the news.

She let Romeo take her hand and give it a squeeze.

"What if his battery died? What if he didn't hear what I said?" she kept fretting. "Or maybe his phone dropped?"

Romeo didn't answer.

"He'll come," he said in a low voice. "Natsu would never let his little sister down."

"Yeah, but what if he doesn't come?!" Wendy exclaimed.

"He will, Wen-"

"Wendy!"

Romeo and Wendy's heads snapped in the direction of the familiar voices. Natsu and Lucy, along with a crowd of other people whom they didn't recognize, were running up to them with exhausted looks.

"Natsu, I'm really sorry I didn't have the Troia patches on me-" Lucy started.

"I have some," Wendy said quietly.

Natsu ignored both Lucy and Wendy.

"Where's the old man?" he asked frantically.

"Room twenty-one," Romeo piped up. "Right there, on your left."

Natsu didn't wait around any longer. He burst into the hospital room, despite the multiple protests, and stared directly at the bed that currently housed his father.

"Dad…" he whispered, walking up to the hospital machinery and dropping to his knees. "Igneel…"

Natsu felt a strong hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see a grave-faced Lucy staring at Igneel worriedly.

Igneel coughed. His eyes opened just a fraction of an inch.

"Natsu?" he asked, trying to make out the blurry figures. "And Natsu's girlfriend, too. To what do I owe this pleasure to?"

Natsu looked at his foster father with a serious expression. "It isn't a time to be joking around, Old Man. C'mon, what are you thinking?!"

Igneel coughed again. "That's the thing, my boy. I don't think. I don't ever think."

"You can't just go like this, Pops! It isn't fair on any of us!" Natsu exclaimed, his voice getting heavier and heavier. Lucy's grip tightened around him as she tried to control her boyfriend and his out-of-control emotions.

"Natsu, calm down. You shouldn't yell at your father like this. He'll get stressed, and that wouldn't benefit anyone," she tried to explain.

Natsu started squirming around in her arms. He tried breaking free, but it was impossible against her strong grip.

"No! Igneel! You can't do this to us! This isn't fair! Wendy is marrying early because of you!"

The entire room went deadly silent. Wendy wailed, burying her face into Romeo's chest and beginning to cry like a little girl.

Natsu's gaze hardened. "How dare you even think about leaving us like this. Wendy is marrying for you. It's all for you! It's for you, do you hear me?!" he exclaimed. "She wants you to be able to see her next month in her white dress! She wants you to walk her down the aisle like a father should for his daughter! You can't break Wendy like this!"

"I know, my boy," Igneel said softly. "I didn't mean for this to happen."

"N-no… no you can't… I…" Natsu kept repeating.

Everyone around him was utterly shocked. Natsu had never been this serious in his entire life, and people were beginning to get frightened by his sudden change in attitude.

"Lucy. C'mere," Igneel said, holding out his hand to the blonde girl. Lucy gulped, breaking away from Natsu and kneeling besides him. She looked at Igneel with teary eyes. "Don't cry, child. Don't cry. Do it for Natsu's sake."

Lucy sniffed. "Are you going to be alright?" she asked with concern.

"I'm going to be fine," Igneel reassured. "I won't leave without seeing to it that my only daughter is put into the hands of the man who carelessly stole her away from me."

Romeo latched onto Wendy as the bluenette continued to cry.

"They'll be fine," Lucy said.

"I know they will," Igneel replied with a small smile. "And I know you and Natsu will too."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What Natsu feels for you isn't just a scam. And I know for a fact that your feelings are genuine too. Don't throw that away," Igneel said gravely.

"Stop it… Dad…" Natsu said, clutching Lucy's hand. She gave it a squeeze to tell him everything was going to be alright. "You took me in. You made me yours. You can't die on me like this!"

"I'm not going to die, Natsu," Igneel said. "Have more faith in me, gosh."

"You're such an idiot!" Natsu exclaimed, throwing his arms around his father and letting the tears roam free.

Wendy let go of Romeo and walked up to Natsu. She wrapped her arms around him in the most caring way she could.

"We'll take care of Dad from now on, Natsu. We won't let him leave our sights," she said.

"Of course. I'm staying here for as long as I need to," Natsu said.

"Mavis, why did I have to become sickly at this time?" Igneel muttered. "Wendy, you need to look for colleges, and Natsu, you need to focus on college."

"Don't worry, Dad. I recently got my acceptance letter from Magnolia," Wendy said. "Remember?"

Igneel laughed. "Oh yes, seems like my memory is failing me. Must be my age catching up to me."

That was enough for Wendy. She broke down right then and there, clutching herself and clinging onto whatever she could reach for.

"Wendy!" Romeo exclaimed, running up to her and taking her into his arms. "Are you alright?"

Igneel looked upon them with a watchful eye. "You two have my full blessing," he said, smiling at Romeo. "Please take care of her."

Romeo nodded. "I will."

"And Lucy?" Igneel asked, looking over to the blonde.

"Yes?" Lucy asked.

"Please take care of Natsu," Igneel said with the faintest smile.

Lucy bit her lip, tears stinging her eyes as she tried to jerk her head into a nod.

"I… I will."

…

A month passed successfully, and Igneel's health only became worse. He tried to hide it, though. He participated in the wedding preparations fully without fail. Everyone could see he was trying extremely hard for his daughter.

"You look beautiful," Igneel said, rolling over in his wheelchair to where Wendy was standing in her long, flowing white dress. He took her right hand and kissed the back of it. "Are you ready?"

Wendy nodded, tears in her eyes. "I am, Dad. I am."

"You're going to do brilliantly," Lucy said with a wink, getting into position behind Wendy.

Natsu took the handles of Igneel's wheelchair. It was his job to roll his father besides Wendy, and help him give her to Romeo. He knew he could do it, after all, Lucy was going to be walking besides him down the aisle.

"I'm so proud of you, Wen," Natsu said, giving her the widest grin possible. "Now get out there and show 'em your stuff!"

Wendy laughed. "Thanks, Natsu."

The large double doors opened to reveal the crowd of guests. But Wendy only had her eyes for Romeo, who was waiting for her at the end of the aisle.

The four of them started walking slowly as the guests rose for the bride's arrival. Wendy saw all her friends, as well as Natsu and Lucy's friend seated with a few of them up at the altar.

Wendy smiled as Natsu helped Igneel out of his seat to give her hand to Romeo. She took both of his hands into hers and gave him a heartwarming grin.

The wedding went on, everyone in the audience unable to stop their tears from flowing. Romeo and Wendy were soon wed successfully, sealing their vows with a kiss.

Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand subconsciously. He didn't know what had come over him; it was as if his arm acted on his own. Lucy smiled as she held her boyfriend's hand.

"They'll be alright, right?" Lucy asked, looking at the newly wed couple.

Natsu shot her his signature grin.

"Oh I know they will," he said. "Ya' know, one day it's gonna be you and me up there."

Lucy smirked and rolled her eyes.

" _Baka_."


End file.
